DENVER (Ticker) -- Joe Smith was signed by the Minnesota
Timberwolves to help offset the departure of All-Star forward
Tom Gugliotta. So far, so good.

Smith scored 23 points on 10-of-11 shooting as the Timberwolves
withstood a second-half rally and pulled away for a 110-92
season-opening victory over the new-look Denver Nuggets.

Gugliotta spurned the Timberwolves by signing a six-year, $58
million contract with the Phoenix Suns at the conclusion of the
lockout. Smith was signed to a one-year, $1.75 million contract
and paid immediate dividends.

"We executed our offensive game and made them take tough shots,"
Smith said. "I felt really comfortable. The guys have made me
feel comfortable since I first got here."

Stephon Marbury added 21 points and 10 assists for the Wolves,
who put away the contest with a 19-5 run. Minnesota opened a
101-81 bulge on Smith's jumper with 3:31 remaining.

"I was happy," Minnesota coach Flip Saunders. "We set the tone
defensively and took them out of their offense. Joe Smith did
what we thought he would do."

"Joe Smith was phenomenal," Marbury added. "He talked about
redeeming himself but guys like me and KG (Kevin Garnett), who
watched him play in college, know what kind of game he has."

Marbury had 13 points and seven assists in the first half, when
the Wolves opened a 58-45 lead. He added six points in the
third quarter as the Timberwolves took an 82-73 lead into the
final period.

"I called Stephon `Dr. Marbury,'" Saunders said. "In the first
half, he took out their gall bladder and in the second half he
worked on their heart."

Antonio McDyess, beginning his second stint in Denver, scored 18
points for the Nuggets. Nick Van Exel, acquired in a trade from
the Los Angeles Lakers, added 17.

Denver's Danny Fortson posted his eighth career double-double
with 12 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. Van Exel recorded
his 70th double-double, dishing out 10 assists, the 90th time he
has reached double figures in that category.

Trailing 73-57 with five minutes remaining in the third quarter,
the Nuggets climbed into the game with a 19-9 burst. Denver
pulled within 82-76 with 11:04 remaining on three free throws by
Chauncey Billups, another trade acquisition.

But the Nuggets went cold, scoring only five points over the
next 7 1/2 minutes and dealing coach Mike D'Antoni a loss in his
debut.

After winning just 11 games last season, Denver improved its
team with the acquisitions of McDyess and Van Exel. However,
the roster includes seven rookies or second-year players. That
inexperience may have played a factor down the stretch.

"We weren't much of a team out there tonight," D'Antoni said.
"We know we're going to have our ups and downs, but we just
can't get down mentally, and I think we did tonight."

"For us to win, we've got to play as a team and execute our
offense better," McDyess added. "We panicked too much and one
person tried to take over. If we get through the first month,
we'll be OK."

The loss was the Nuggets' second-worst in a season opener since
joining the NBA. They lost to Milwaukee, 125-99, on October 13,
1979.

"It was terrible," Van Exel said. "We didn't play as a team. We
didn't do what the coaches asked us. We got our butts whipped."